Mental Health Parity & Patrick Kennedy

The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA or Parity Act) requires health insurance carriers to achieve coverage parity between Mental Health/Substance Use Disorders (MH/SUD) and medical/surgical benefits, especially in regard to financial requirements and treatment limitations. The MHPAEA, originally applied to group health plans and group health insurance coverage, was amended by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to also apply to individual health insurance coverage.